1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dispenser for web material in rolled form, and a method of loading such a dispenser. A plurality of rolls of web material are mounted on a carousel and once a current roll is spent or substantially spent, the carousel rotates to automatically transfer a next roll into a dispensing position.
2. Description of Related Art
Efforts have been made over the years to store and then sequentially dispense multiple rolls of web material. Such web material is usually in the form of paper towels or toilet tissue. However, the prior art devices are often complex and/or produce core waste, that is spent cores are not retained by the dispenser.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,461,810 describes a multiple roll dispenser in which each roll holder has an associated release arm for securing the roll in dispensing position and for permitting rotation of the roll-carrying carousel when the current roll has been depleted. In order for the carousel of this patent to rotate under the influence of gravity, the rolls must be dispensed from a position offset from the central vertical axis of the housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,129 also describes a multiple roll dispenser in which each roll holder has an associated lock mechanism and the roll being dispensed must be offset from the central vertical axis of the housing in order for the carousel to rotate under the influence of gravity when a roll being dispensed has been depleted.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,491,251 and 7,041,140 describe multiple tissue roll dispensers in which the catch and release mechanism for the rotary turret requires the use of split core tissue rolls, i.e., rolls in which the core is in the form of two axially separated sections.